Reassurance
by Ralinde
Summary: Of all the people she knew, Tonks never thought it would be Fleur who would understand and could reassure her the best.


_A/N: This is for the Hogwarts Games 2012, category Archery: Men's Individual (write a story about friends) and for the Honeydukes Competition, category Acid Pops (write a story about someone missing someone/thing). I also used the following prompts:_

_- "love hurts" from the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp_

_- "moonlit kisses" from the Favourite Hogwarts House Boot Camp (Hufflepuffs)_

_- "change" from the Character Diversity Boot Camp_

_- "hard" from the Family Boot Camp (Weasleys)_

* * *

Nymphadora sat on the couch, her legs pulled up and her arms wrapped around her knees, staring into nothingness. She often sat like that these days. She was halfway through her pregnancy and alone. She had thought that when Remus married her, he finally understood how much she cared about him and how little she cared about his condition. True, they would never share moonlit kisses, but that didn't matter that much to her. What mattered was that she was with Remus. Except that now she wasn't. Upon finding out that she was pregnant, he had fled, stating that he didn't want to inflict his condition upon an innocent baby. Merlin only knew where he was now and she wasn't even sure she wanted this baby if Remus wouldn't be there to raise him – for she was convinced it would be a boy – with her.

A knock on the door pulled her out of her thoughts and she slowly got up to open it. A tall, blond witch was on her doorstep and it took her a moment to recognise the visitor. It was Fleur, Bill Weasley's wife.

"What do you want?" she asked more brusquely than she had intended.

"I came to see if you were okay," Fleur said. "I know we're not exactly friends, but Molly told me what 'appened and I thought you might want to talk to someone."

"She had no right," Tonks growled.

"Can I come in?" Fleur asked. "It's rather cold outside. And did I mention I made gingerbread cookies?" Her smile was disarming and Tonks grudgingly opened the door a little wider.

"You're starting to become like your mother-in-law, you know that?" she muttered, which made Fleur laugh.

"I used to take zat as a bad zing, but now not so much."

Tonks showed her the living room and the two witches sat down, a little awkwardly.

"'Ow are you doing?" Fleur asked.

Tonks shrugged. "You know."

"You're just going through a rough patch right now. Every couple has them. I'm sure 'e'll change 'is mind."

"Well, I'm not so sure. He just took off and left. Apparently because he didn't want to 'pass on his condition to the baby'," Tonks scoffed.

There was a moment of silence.

"How do you manage it?"

"'Ow do I manage what?"

"You and Bill seem to have a stable relationship. Bill wouldn't run away if you were pregnant."

"You don't know zat. No one knows 'ow someone will react in certain situations."

"Bill wasn't afraid to get married." It was almost an accusation.

"Are you kidding? 'E was terrified!"

"Really? It didn't show. So, what did you say to him to convince him to stay?"

"I wasn't really what I said. It was what Remus told us."

"Remus?" Tonks raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Fleur nodded. "Love 'urts, 'e said, and it will be difficult, but once you've find someone who loves you unconditionally, 'old on to zem."

"Oh great, so I'm not worth holding on to," Tonks said and tears welled up in her eyes. "That's makes me feel _so _much better."

"Don't take it like zat," Fleur replied and placed a hand on Tonks arm. "'E also said zat 'e was afraid zat 'e didn't zink 'e deserved you. You were ze best zing zat ever 'appened to 'im."

"Yet he left."

"I'm certain zat 'e will come back. Imagine 'ow it is for 'im. 'E grew up a werewolf and 'e knows 'ow 'ard it is to live like zat all ze time. Imagine if both your 'usband and your baby were werewolves, wouldn't you be afraid?"

"I don't care and he ought to know that."

"I zink 'e's terrified zat 'is child will 'ave ze same difficult childhood 'e 'ad. 'E blames 'imself if zat were to 'appen."

"I do understand that," Tonks said reluctantly. "But he ought to know that I would support him no matter what."

"I zink 'e knows. 'E just needs to reach zat conclusion 'imself and 'e needs to accept 'imself before 'e can be a father, don't you zink?"

"I suppose that sort of makes sense. It's just, this is new for me as well and I would have really liked to do this together, you know?"

"I understand. I would feel 'orrible if I was pregnant and Bill would not be zere. But 'ave confidence, you'll 'ave plenty of time to get used to the idea together."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just 'ave a feeling. And my feelings never let me down." Fleur smiled at her. "'E'll come back."

Tonks was starting to gain a bit more confidence from Fleur's words. She had been reluctant to let her in at first, but she started to see why Molly had sent her over. After all, Fleur was married to a werewolf as well – though Bill's condition was better than Remus' – so who could understand better what she was going through and what it was like, than this blonde witch?

"Thank for coming over, Fleur. It may not seem like it, but I'm happy you knocked on my door today."

"I know," Fleur smiled again. "Now tell me, 'ow is zat little one doing?"

They started talking about Tonks' pregnancy and Tonks realised how much she missed having someone to share these kind of things with. She had her mother, and Molly, but that wasn't the same. Fleur could really place herself in her situation and thus understood her like no one could. Who knew, maybe the two of them could even become friends. She smiled. Of all the people she knew, she had never thought it would be Fleur who'd understand her the best.


End file.
